Mobile communications devices have become an integral part of society over the last two decades. Indeed, more than eighty-two percent of Americans own a mobile communications device, for example, a cell phone. The typical mobile communications device includes an antenna, and a transceiver coupled to the antenna. The transceiver and the antenna cooperate to transmit and receive communication signals.
The land mobile radio (LMR) network is a regulated system for radio communications between land-based mobile and stations. The service is commonly utilized by emergency first responder organizations, public works organizations, and other organizations with numerous mobile field staff. In a conventional LMR system, a base station or repeater transmits and receives signals from a number of mobile or portable radio units, which are sometimes called subscriber units. In a conventional LMR trunked radio system, a relatively small number of radio channels are commonly used to facilitate voice and data communications between the base station and many LMR subscriber radios. LMR is primarily designed to meet the critical narrowband voice communications needs of first responders and others.
Many LMR communications devices include a plurality of wireless transceivers for permitting use of multiple communication systems. For example, due to the pervasive penetration of the cellular communication system, many of the LMR communications devices include wireless cellular transceivers. The wireless cellular transceivers permit the LMR communications devices to operate outside the LMR communication system. For users that cover large service areas, this can be helpful.